The Weight Of The World
by ma'heono
Summary: The brothers find proof that there really is such a thing as 'too much information' when they set out to chase after some clues to Sam's destiny. Rated for moderate violence.
1. Part 1

_Disclaimer: Supernatural and all related characters and themes do not belong to me. Good job too or they'd be in trouble!_

_A/N: the following takes place after 'Hunted' and before 'Playthings'._

* * *

The noise of passing traffic on the highway spoke of immense trailers and big-rigs making their way across country, using the quieter roads during the hours of darkness to their advantage. Reflected headlight beams swept the ceiling of the motel room in pale yellowish strips, highlighting for a brief moment the garish orange plastic chandelier that hung in the center.

Watching the swift passing of the beams as they glided over him, Dean slipped one arm behind his head and let his free hand rest back against his forehead. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, aware of the air filling his lungs from the bases right up to under his collarbone, he then sighed out the breath and listened to the gentle sound. Repeating the deep breathing a few more times and trying to recall where he had learned the technique (then remembering the whole point was to relax and clear his mind), he felt his shoulders beginning to release their tension and was aware of his heart rate slowing.

And then Sam stirred. Dean forgot his attempts to relax and lowered his arm, turning his head and peering across to the other single bed that lay a short distance away adjacent to his own. The headlight passes gave brief moments of enough light for him to watch his brother lying prone, fidgeting in troubled sleep, and Dean groaned in dismay. Never sure quite what was the best thing to do in moments like these, he sat up slowly and rested back on his arms, the hideous orange and yellow blankets sliding away from his chest.

"Sammy?"

Nothing. Although Sam seemed to become more rested at his brother's voice and Dean could not help but smile as the notion of just what he meant to his little brother pushed all other concerns to the side for a second. He sank back against the pillows and closed his eyes.

"Dean?"

It was barely a whisper but was laced with such emotion that Dean instantly sat up, swung his feet out from under the covers and turned to perch on the edge of the bed. "You okay, man?"

"Can't sleep." Came a tight, quiet reply.

"I know … me neither …" Dean peered through the dimness and could just about see his brother opening his eyes and looking back at him. Sam frowned and gave a gentle groan of what sounded like exhaustion mingled with a generous portion of discomfort and a sprinkling of worry. "Ava?" Dean surmised softly.

Sam was quiet for a moment and then rolled onto his side, clutching at his thick duck-feather pillow and giving a loud sigh. "Yeah."

Dean nodded. "Not your fault man … she sought you out … remember?"

"Dude …" Sam countered quietly, "So not the point."

"Look, Sam." Dean dragged his hands back through his hair and held both fists at the back of his neck for a moment, aware of the tight tension across his shoulders. "The way I see it, we've got enough to deal with right now … adding casualties to our worries will only make - "

"Casualties?" Sam echoed, raising himself up on one elbow and frowning at his brother. "Is that how you see them?" He waited for an answer and was met with silence. Sure that his brother was trying to find the means to defend his lack of emotion on the matter, Sam sighed in annoyance and lay back down.

"I'm sorry."

Sam looked back and was sure he saw his brother hang his head in dismay. Intrigued, Sam sat upright and waited for Dean to continue. And that was when his phone rang.

Grunting at the effort it took to clamber from the bed, Sam flicked on the bedside light and winced in the sudden brightness of the day-glow decor. Dazed for a second, he stumbled towards the chair at the foot of his bed and searched through his jacket pockets. Finding the cellphone, he checked the caller ID and frowned in interest. Aware of his brother watching him in equal intrigue, Sam accepted the call and put the phone to his ear.

"_Hey. It's me. I think I found one._"

"What?" Sam sank onto the end of the bed and pinched his nose with the thumb and forefinger of his left hand. "Andy …? D'you have any idea what time it is, man?"

"_Yeah. I know. I'm sorry. It couldn't wait._" Andy replied hurriedly. "_I'm serious, man. I really think I found one of them._"

"Of of whom?"

"_Us_!"

Dean edged closer to his brother and frowned in concern as he watched the color drain from Sam's face. It seemed to make the cuts and bruises on his swollen cheeks that much more obvious and somehow so much worse. He leaned forward and his forehead knotted in concern. "What is it?"

"_Sam_?"

"Yeah, Andy …" Sam closed his eyes and pressed the palm of his hand against his temple. "I … uhm … you what?"

"_One of the psychics_." Andy insisted with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. "_I mean, I can't be sure but I'm pretty certain. It's where I am now. I broke into this psychiatrist's office and I've got her file. She certainly fits the profile you spoke of and -_ "

"Wait! Wait! Wo …" Sam sat up straight and turned to Dean, his eyebrows sinking with the weight of his confusion. "Where are you?"

Andy continued on regardless. "_She's the same age as us and claims to have abilities that sound suspiciously similar to what we have. Look. I think you need to get here and see for yourself_."

"Where?"

"_Tulsa_."

"Tulsa?" Sam gasped and gave a brief chuckle, shaking his head slightly.

"What?" Dean urged, "What's in Tulsa?"

Sam raised his hand as if to request that his brother please not add to the worries in his already aching head and then sighed loudly. "Look, Andy … it's not that I don't - " He closed his eyes and smiled thinly, "Give me what you have and let me check with my source - "

"_No_!"

Sam flinched slightly at the sudden shout and was aware of his brother leaning even closer in increasing concern.

"_I'm sorry_." Andy sighed heavily, "_Look, you pulled me into all this and now -_ "

"No, that was Webber."

"_Ok. Alright. You're not interested. I get it. Sorry I bothered -_ "

"No! Wait!" Sam hung his head and held his forehead, groaning softly. "Dude … I'm sorry. I'm tired and … it's cool. We'll meet to talk. Where can we find you?"

"Dude!" Dean urged, moving closer, "Tulsa must be at least a 12 hour drive from here!"

"Dean!" Sam hissed in annoyance, holding up his hand again.

"_I can park up in a truck stop outside the city._" And suggested quietly.

"Okay." Sam nodded. "Give me the info you have so I can do a little research on the way."

"Sam!" Dean argued.

Sam glared a warning at his brother and stood to grab a pen and some paper. He swapped his phone to his other hand and frowned as he struggled to grip the pen firmly with his plastered right hand.

"_That's all I know._" Andy concluded quietly, "_Her file is pretty short - I don't think she's been here long. But all that Dr Kavanagh told me seems to fit what we know about us_."

Sam paused for a moment and closed his eyes. "Why did he tell you all this …?" He trailed off as he guessed the answer and gave a soft groan.

"_What_?" Andy defended, "_I heard all this screaming and had to know what was going on_."

Sam considered this for a moment and looked at the profile he had jotted down. He then frowned and stood up straight. "Wait … what were you doing seeing this guy?"

"_Oh_ …" Andy gave a small embarrassed laugh, "_Tracy. She insisted. You know. After everything_."

"Ah." Sam smiled, "Hoping to get back into her good books, huh?"

"_And a lot further, if all goes to plan_."

"Okay, enough info." Sam laughed gently and arched his back, stretching out aching muscles. "I'll call later."

Now wide awake, Dean watched his brother in mild annoyance as Sam started to get dressed, pulling on his jeans and struggling slightly to button the fly with his broken hand. "So …?"

Sam tugged on a t-shirt and turned round as he pulled the faded cotton over his bruised ribs. "So I'll do some research on the way."

"And we're gonna drive all the way to Tulsa …?"

"Yeah."

"And that's it?" Dean stood from the bed and tossed aside the sheet that clung to his thighs. Frowning at Sam as he neared him, he laughed gently and shook his head. "Sorry, Sammy. I need a little more to go on."

"Why? It's Andy. We told him to call if he ever needed us." Sam lifted his shirt from the chair and slid it on, frowning as he saw more buttons and then deciding, with a weary groan, to leave it open.

Dean reached past Sam and grabbed the small motel-embossed note pad. Sighing, he scrolled through the rough handwriting. "Tori Lakin, 23, originally from New Hampshire, training to be a vet at OU." He laughed suddenly and grinned up at Sam. "Hey. You think she talks to the animals?" Seeing Sam's definite lack of amusement, his smile fell away and he looked back at the list. "Both parents dead - car accident 1991." He frowned and then raised his eyebrows with a slight snort of interest. "Paranoid schizophrenic? Lovely! She sounds quite the catch."

"Dude!" Sam snatched the paper back from him and folded it small to tuck it into his jeans pocket. "Please? Can we just go?" He asked wearily, shoving his jacket and sleep-shirt into his hold-all and picking up his laptop. "We've hit the road for a lot less."

"Yeah. And got into all kinds of trouble because of it." Dean countered, sitting back down on the bed. "And what makes Andy think she's one of the psychic-demon-kids, anyhow?"

Sam frowned at his brother's tone and dropped his bag onto the floor with a sigh. "He said she was screaming in Latin and that this shrink he spoke to told him that she terrifies him."

"And?"

Looking down at his hands, he picked idly at the edge of his cast and took a deep breath. "And she draws pictures of eyes." Frowning, he could feel his pulse racing and looked up at his brother's worried frown. "Yellow eyes."

"Crap …" Dean closed his eyes and stepped backwards to sit back down on the end of his bed.

Sam watched his brother's shoulders sag and could feel his throat tighten as he recalled Dean's confession as to just how much all of this was wearing him out. Knowing that he had to go and find out more about Tori and also knowing that his brother would not let him take the trip alone, no matter how much he disagreed with the idea, Sam felt a stomach churning collection of guilt building inside him.

"I dunno, man …" Dean began in a whisper, closing his eyes and letting his head sink lower towards his chest. "I'd give anything to just be rid of all this …"

"Yeah … I know …" Sam stepped past him and perched on the end of the opposite bed. "But … maybe we can find some more answers. I mean, if this girl's been in therapy then … I dunno … perhaps the shrinks have something to offer …?"

Dean lifted his head and met his brother's earnest eyes. Suddenly smiling, he slapped his hands against his knees and stood quickly. "Fuck it!"

Sam watched in cautious relief as Dean started to pull on his jeans and pack up his belongings into his tattered old hold-all.

"I knew we were making a move as soon as the phone rang." Dean explained with a slight chuckle. Glancing back at his brother, he sighed and shook his head in mock exasperation. "It's how this gig works with you."

Sam stood slowly. "I'm sorry, man."

"Yeah …" Dean pulled on his leather jacket and checked the pockets for his car keys. "Well, you can take the first leg and breakfast along the way is so on you."

"Sure." Sam smiled and took the keys. He watched his brother open the door and carry his bag out to the car that was parked in front of the motel. Glancing about the room to ensure they had gathered all their belongings and pausing for a moment as he realized that all of his worldly goods could be fitted into an average size hold-all, Sam followed after Dean and closed the door.

XXXXX

Sam rested his face against the cool glass of the window and could feel the gentle rumble of the engine vibrating against his shoulder where he leaned into the door. It was comforting somehow, almost soothing and he wondered when his brother's prized Impala had become so much more to even him that simply a means of travel. Hearing the dull roar of the tyres rolling over tarmac, he let his thoughts wander and was suddenly transported back to the sight of the sleek black Chevy after the semi had slammed into them. Recalling Bobby's dismissal of the battered car that was unsalvageable in his eyes, Sam remembered his own determination and realized that this was when he had fully understood what the car meant to Dean.

"Hey, sleeping beauty. Rise and shine."

Sam groaned as his brother's rough thump against his left shoulder reverberated through him and knocked his forehead against the glass. His contented musings vanished in a puff of annoyance and he opened his eyes wearily.

"Gonna stop for gas and breakfast." Dean offered with a yawn.

Sam slowly righted himself and groaned as his neck ached from having been slumped in such an awkward, yet surprisingly comfortable, position against the door. He peered out at the passing countryside and stretched his arms out before him, yawning loudly. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was a little before 10 am and he rested back against the seat with a sigh. "Where are we?"

"Just north of Springfield, Missouri." Dean replied. "Saw a sign for a diner not far from here and suddenly got me a hankering for some grilled beef."

Sam grimaced and rubbed at his aching side, feeling aging bruises still tender under his skin.

"And coffee would be good." Dean added as an after thought, taking one hand from the wheel to slide his fingers round to the back of his neck and massage his tired muscles.

"Yeah." Sam sat upright and blinked in the brightness of the morning sunshine, stifling another yawn as he looked around at the light traffic cruising alongside them on the highway.

Dean glanced at his brother and smiled in amusement. "Have a good sleep?"

"Not really." Sam turned to see the last of his brother's mocking smile and shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, man … I'll take the next leg."

Dean nodded in agreement, "Tulsa's only about 4 more hours, I reckon. Shouldn't be too much of a chore."

Sam smiled and nodded, acknowledging that his brother's teasing was well-deserved; this trip was on his insistence and yet he had not been able to keep his eyes open much past the Indiana state line and Dean had needed to take over his share of the driving.

"Here we are!" Dean declared merrily, pointing out through the windshield at a large, brightly colored sign. "Daisy's Diner. Home grown beef patties. Yum!"

Sam nodded slowly, unsure if he was quite so keen on the idea of a quarter pounder for breakfast but only too happy to let his brother feast on whatever he chose; it was the least he deserved.

Dean pulled off the highway and guided the Impala into one of the parking spaces beside the apparently newly refurbished diner. They climbed from the car and took a moment to stretch out their aching bodies, pacing back and forth across the neatly gravelled yard.

The Impala was ticking as the hot engine cooled and Sam could feel the heat radiating out from under the hood. Almost following the urge to pat the car gratefully, he laughed at himself and hurried after his brother who was eagerly crossing over to the diner.

XXXXX

The diner was still quiet as Dean headed out from the restroom and strode back towards their table in the corner. Seeing the booth empty, he paused and quickly looked around the brightly decorated restaurant.

"Your buddy already left."

Dean spun towards the long bar that filled one side of the diner and saw the waitress smiling warmly at him.

"He paid and said he'd meet you in the car." She wiped down the chrome surface of the bar with a cloth and her smile grew. "Gave a good tip, too. Thanks."

Dean forgot his initial panic and stepped towards her, matching her smile with one of his own. "You're very welcome."

"It's not often that someone asks for the full ½ pounder deal much before noon." She continued, pausing her cleaning and regarding him in interest. "You sure were hungry."

Dean chuckled and leaned his elbows on the bar, his smile growing as he held her gentle gaze and gave a contented sigh. "Well … we've been traveling through the night and - " He stopped himself and groaned suddenly, hanging his head to meet his fists against his forehead. "Speaking of which …" Standing up straight and tapping the bar with one fist, he pointed out towards the car and gave another gentle moan. "We really should get going."

"Oh." The waitress sighed in dismay and her smile softened a little. "That's too bad."

"I … oh god, you have no idea …" Dean muttered and waved as he headed out of the diner.

Sam was waiting inside the open Impala, sitting sideways in the passenger seat and holding his head in his hands. Seeing something in his brother's body language that sparked a familiar dread deep inside him, Dean galloped down the steps from the diner's entrance and jogged across the gravel car park to skid to a halt beside the car.

"Shit!" Sam's face was pale and twisted in pain as he heard his brother's arrival and glanced up at him.

"Sammy?" Quickly crouching down, Dean placed his hands on Sam's arms and peered up into his brothers troubled face.

"God, Dean …" Sam lowered his plastered right hand and rested the heavy cast on Dean's shoulder. "I saw them killed." He managed.

"What? Who?"

Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his hunched shoulders relaxing as the vision faded and the pain in his head began to ease. "Orderlies … guards …" He looked up and frowned in confusion. "It was a hospital … a secure wing like - "

"Like a psych ward?" Dean surmised hurriedly, still supporting Sam's arm and watching him recovering gradually.

"Yeah." Sam answered quietly. "Dude, I think - "

"We need to hurry!" Dean concluded and got to his feet. Waiting for Sam to turn and swing his legs up inside the car, he closed the passenger door and ran round to the driver's side. Sliding inside the car, he fired up the engine and the Impala lurched forward and out of the car park, the tyres slipping on the gravel in his haste.

Grasping the door handle for support, Sam reached over the front seat and grabbed his laptop from the bag behind him. "I saw a symbol. A name, maybe …" He explained to no one in particular, opening the laptop and waiting for the computer to power up. "It was …" Flicking through the files he had already downloaded from the searches he had done using Andy's information, his brow knotted as he looked at the various images. "It was familiar … like - " Gasping in dismay, he stared at the report he had opened and the logo in the top corner seemed to leap out from the screen at him.

"What?" Dean urged, his mind half-focused on the highway as he glanced at his brother. "Sam?"

"Oh god …" Sam husked, turning the laptop towards his brother and giving a loud sigh of sorrow. "It's definitely her … I saw the symbol of the hospital …"

Dean took a quick look at the computer screen and then his eyes met Sam's horrified face. Knowing that there was nothing more to be said, his lips tightened and he gripped the steering wheel as he pressed on the gas and felt the Impala immediately respond.

_Tbc ..._


	2. Part 2

The large black van with its detailed airbrush design stood out like a torch in darkness and Dean quickly spotted the vehicle amid the standard family sedans and business saloons of the hospital car park. Turning off the main street, he guided the Impala alongside the van and peered up into the front cab, finding it empty.

"Where is he?" Sam urged in annoyance.

Dean gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Asleep in the back, maybe?" Switching off the engine, he climbed from the car and headed round to the van.

Sam opened the passenger door and swung his feet round onto the ground, startled by the sudden shrill tone of his phone. He grabbed the handset from his jacket pocket and saw the ID. Standing quickly, he caught his brother's attention and answered the call. "Andy? Where are you?"

"_At the rear entrance._" Andy answered rapidly, "_Dude, something's going on. The police are here and they're not letting anyone -_ "

"Stay there!" Sam ordered quickly, slamming the door shut and hurrying towards Dean. "We'll be right there!"

Dean watched Sam in concern and followed quickly as he was led towards the trunk of the car.

"Detective IDs." Sam requested in a panic, reaching into the trunk to grab a 9mm from the weapons bag and checking the clip before tucking it into the back of his jeans.

"Is it happening?" Dean asked quietly, selecting his own hand gun before then moving to the driver's door to lean in and grab the tin of IDs.

Sam met Dean at the front of the car and looked across at the small four-story hospital. "Yeah. I think so."

Reaching the back entrance to the hospital and seeing the staff and patients who were being herded onto the grass by security personnel, Sam caught sight of Andy standing by the glass automatic doors and headed towards him.

"Hey!" A security guard stepped into the path of the two brothers and held up his hands to stop their advance. "That's far enough."

"It's okay, they're with me."

The guard turned and saw Andy walking quickly towards them. "Oh … sorry Dr Gallagher."

Sam glanced at Andy in amusement and saw the brief nod of assurance he was given. He turned back to the guard and smiled in greeting as the guard shrugged and backed away from them.

"Guys, am I glad to see you!" Andy exclaimed in delight, hurrying forward and holding out his arms as if to embrace the pair of them.

"Wo!" Dean quickly raised his hands and took a step backwards, chuckling nervously.

Andy's smile faltered and he turned to Sam. "She broke out."

"What?" Sam gasped, a twinge of pain in his head making him wince as a quick flash of his vision entered his thoughts.

"I got here a few minutes ago - just as the police arrived." Andy explained, "There was complete chaos, man! Alarms blaring and people running from the building." He shook his head sadly and dragged a hand through his hair. "What I've gotten from some of the witnesses and staff is vague at best. No one knows how she got out but she attacked her orderlies and - " Seeing the sudden pain that crossed Sam's face, Andy frowned up at him and then suddenly understood. "You knew!" He gasped and clutched both hands to his head. "You saw this. That's why you called. Why you said to meet you here."

Sam nodded slowly in confirmation.

"Oh my god!" Andy continued quietly, staring up at Sam in disbelief. "Why the hell didn't you warn them?"

Dean quickly stepped in front of his brother defensively and held up his hand. "That's not how it works, Andy. And you know that."

Andy shook his head, unable to tear his eyes from Sam's sorrow-filled face. "But - "

"What was he supposed to do, man?" Dean urged quietly, "Call the switchboard and tell them one of their patients is about to go Resident Evil on their ass?"

Andy frowned at the analogy and shrugged his shoulders, his flushed face full of apprehension.

"We need to find her." Sam stated quietly.

"What?" Dean and Andy both demanded in unison.

Sam looked between their worried faces and gave a small nod. Glancing back at the hospital, he shrugged his shoulders and frowned in thought. "Every one of these guys gives us more clues as to what the hell is going on …"

"Hell being the operative word." Dean grated under his breath, noting the warning glance his brother shot at him.

"Well." Andy pointed towards the building and his face lightened. "I can get you in there. No problem."

Sam smiled and turned to his brother.

"Fine." Dean agreed reluctantly. "But, just for the record, this is against my better judgement."

Sam laughed gently, "Dude, do you have a better judgement?"

"Bite me." Dean retorted lightheartedly and followed Andy towards the building.

XXXXX

It was exactly as simple as Andy had suggested to enter the building. Firmly believing the trio to be one of the escapees doctors and two detectives, the security personnel stepped from their path and they made their way to the second floor.

The secure psychiatric unit and the adjoining wards had been cleared of all unnecessary personnel and the patients evacuated to the neighboring ward. It was eerily quiet as the three of them walked carefully along the pale green corridor and could hear little evidence that anyone was about.

Turning the end corner, they had their first glimpse of the damage; one of the tempered glass doors shattered and hanging off of its tracks. They edged around the end of the corridor and paused inside the entrance to the secure ward, taking a moment to absorb the mess.

Crime scene officers milled around the bodies scattered throughout the centre of the ward and the medical examiners took multiple photographs, scattering bright flash light through the corridor.

"Holy shit." Dean whispered, aware of his two companions nodding in agreement. He then turned to look at his brother and saw Sam peering around the scene in intrigue. "You think one of your psychic friends is capable of this?"

Sam frowned and took in the damage to the doors of one of the rooms on the side of the ward and then noted the bent, mangled remains of a metal security gate at the far end.

"I guess …" Andy offered quietly.

Dean glanced at him and then turned back to Sam. "Damage like this takes superhuman strength, bro …"

Sam seemed to at last hear his brother's concerns and seemed to startle from his thoughts. He turned to Dean and renewed fear filled his eyes. "You think …?"

Dean reached into his pocket and took out a small silver hip flask. "Better safe than sorry."

"Why? What's that?"

"Holy water." Dean replied easily. "Our girl might be possessed." Aware of his brother giving a slight gasp, he turned to him and saw his suspicion. "What?" Dean shrugged, "He needs to know what he's getting into."

Sam looked back inside the ward and dragged his good hand through his hair, resting his fist at the nape of his neck and closing his eyes. "It might explain the Latin, as well."

"Erm …" Andy raised his hands nervously and then pointed into the ward. "I think we've been spotted."

Dean spun towards the CSI officer and smiled warmly. "So deal with it." He hissed to Andy through closed teeth.

"Can I help you?" The officer asked warily.

"Detective Ripley." Dean replied easily, holding up his fake ID and then nodding to Sam. "My partner Detective Hicks."

"I see." The officer nodded and gave a thin smile of welcome. "Come on in." He turned away from them and headed back towards one of the bodies strewn across the lino floor.

Dean shot Andy a delighted grin, "Dude … I would have so much fun." He observed lightly and headed into the ward.

"Her shrink thinks she's somehow not been taking her meds." The officer explained as they followed him along the corridor. "She burst from her room and attacked with expert precision." He indicated the bodies around them and frowned slightly. "Clean brakes. All of them. Necks snapped like kindling."

"Oh, man …" Dean groaned.

"Never seen anything like it." The officer agreed quietly, "The doc thinks its her mental state that gives her such strength but …" He shook his head slowly, "She's five nothing and 120 pounds, if that. How she managed this …"

Dean glanced at Sam and saw the same thoughts crossing his tired eyes.

"The doc insisted on staying. Says he can maybe talk her down or - "

"What?" Sam urged rapidly, "Where is he?"

"In the office at the end," The officer pointed back towards the entrance.

Sam spun and hurried along to the staff office, knocking lightly before stepping inside. He peered round the door and saw the greying man receiving treatment, the EMT carefully wrapping a sling under the doctors arm.

"Yes?"

Sam met the doctor's wary gaze and stepped further into the office. "Dr Kavanagh?" He watched the older man nod an affirmative and then held up his ID. "Detective Hicks. I need to ask you a few questions."

Dr Kavanagh smiled thinly and beckoned Sam to enter the office further. He thanked the paramedic and watched him packing away his supplies before then leaving promptly.

"You okay, sir?" Sam asked carefully, indicating the bruising to the doctor's face and neck.

"That's a loaded question." Dr Kavanagh replied quietly.

Sam shrugged slightly and crossed the office to take a seat across the desk from the doctor. "What can you tell me about Tori Lakin?"

"God …" The doctor rubbed at his bandaged arm and sighed heavily. "Not that much, I'm afraid." He replied, frowning in thought. "She was something of an enigma. Even after three months of study and therapy."

"Three months? Is that how long she has been here?" Sam urged.

"Yes. She was found wandering in the city and in a complete mess." Dr Kavanagh took a deep breath and stroked his injured arm idly. "She was dehydrated, malnourished, rambling incoherently. The police traced her back to a missing persons report filed nine months beforehand."

Sam added the figures together and could feel a pounding in his chest as if his heart was misfiring. "She went missing a year ago?"

The doctor nodded, "Just up and walked out of an anatomy class. Everyone was shocked. She was apparently well liked and a grade-A student - in her third year of studying to be a veterinarian."

Sam could feel adrenaline still lingering in his system and took a deep breath. "And … what did you make of her?"

"It was an easy diagnosis." Dr Kavanagh gave a small shrug and leaned back in his chair, removing his glasses and wiping his eyes with his fingers. "But she didn't respond to any treatment. In fact … she only ever seemed to become worse. No matter what we did."

"The witnesses spoke of hearing her screaming in Latin." Sam ventured warily.

"Yeah." The doctor gave a short laugh and reached across his desk to grab a small digital recorder. He held it up to show Sam and then pressed play.

Sam leaned forward and hung his head as he listened to the female voice chanting. Closing his eyes, he strained to hear anything other than the woman speaking and found no evidence of any other presence in the recording. And then something the voice said made his skin crawl. "Wait." Sam flicked his head up and held out his hand. "May I?"

"Sure." Dr Kavanagh held out the device to him.

Sam scanned back through the recording and repeated the playback, his head spinning as he heard the words.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." Sam smiled quickly and pressed stop, handing the recorder back. "What can you tell me about Tori's drawings?"

"Hmm. You've seen her room, I take it."

Sam adapted quickly and gave a brief nod.

"The yellow-eyed man was the focus of her paranoia." The doctor explained, "It's quite a common theme among patients with her type of illness. A figure manifesting from confused thoughts and becoming something almost corporeal to aim emotions at."

"Emotions?"

"Hate. Rage." Dr Kavanagh gave another shrug. "Every bad thought or emotion is blamed on some controlling figure who is causing them."

Sam considered the psychiatrists words for a moment and then nodded slowly. "Thank you for your time."

"Of course."

Standing, Sam turned to head from the room and then spun back with a slight frown. "Can I ask you why you think she didn't kill you?"

Dr Kavanagh seemed to shudder and clutched at his injured arm protectively. "I know why … she told me." He closed his eyes for a moment, the color draining from his cheeks. When he looked back up at Sam, his face was filled with fear and he took a deep, shaken breath. "She said that I had to tell the world what she had done. To warn people that the end is coming."

Sam was sure he could feel the turn of the earth under his feet and leaned his arm on the back of the chair to steady himself.

"And …" Dr Kavanagh struggled for a moment and seemed to be fighting back tears. He smiled suddenly and shook off his sudden melancholy. "Well … that's the most coherent thing she has ever said in all the time I've known her."

Nodding in understanding, Sam wandered from the office and looked around for his brother and Andy. He then heard a familiar voice and hurried after the sound, reaching the battered door of what was presumably Tori's room and peering inside. "Holy crap …"

Dean spun round and saw his brother standing in the doorway, his mouth hung agape as he looked around at the grafitti on the cream painted walls. He saw something of a familiar dread in Sam's eyes and stepped towards him.

Sam could not tear his eyes from the yellow pairs that stared right back at him from everywhere. Eyes that he had seen before. Eyes that had glared at him from within his own father's face.

"Dude."

Suddenly aware of his brother standing before him, Sam forced himself to look away and met Dean's anxious frown. "We need to find her." He managed through his tight throat. "Fast."

"Okay." Dean agreed quietly, stepping a little closer. "They've got teams looking in the building and the grounds. I'm sure - "

"No, Dean! _We_ have to find her!"

"What? Why?"

Sam shook his head and leaned against the broken door frame, resting his cheek against the white wood. "Because I have to hear what she needs to say." Lifting his head back up, he looked into Dean's worried face and shrugged his shoulders. "Before they silence her with sedatives again."

"I think I know where she might have gone." Andy called out suddenly.

Dean and Sam both moved further into the room and watched Andy crouching down beside the wall, reading some of the scribbled text that lay underneath one of the many drawn pairs of eyes.

Moving closer, Sam rested his hands on his knees and bent forward, reading the rough handwriting for himself. Amid the repeated jumble of sentences that said something about many voices and noisy dreams, he saw some Latin writing and reached out to touch it. "_In nomine patri et fili_…" He trailed of and suddenly laughed softly. "Of course!"

Dean held out his hands and gazed at them both in confusion. "Anyone wanna clue me in here?"

Sam stood up straight and dragged his good hand through his hair. "On the recorder she was reciting an exorcism rite."

"She what?" Dean demanded.

"She was convinced she was possessed. Or that a demon was present." Sam explained with a sigh. "She must have met that yellow-eyed bastard face to face and then when her powers emerged …" He groaned softly, "She must have been so scared …"

Dean's frown grew and he looked between his brother and Andy. "Okay, is there some sort of psychic thing that I can't pick up on? Guys?"

"She was Roman Catholic." Andy explained quietly, pointing at the writing on the wall. "Hence the Latin."

"Shit." Dean sighed, seeing the connections and beginning to understand. "Then …" He turned to Sam and watched him nodding in confirmation.

"She's gone to find a priest." Sam acknowledged quietly.

XXXXX

The afternoon light filtered through the newly cleaned mosaic of colored glass that filled the north window of the church and cast a rainbow of patterns over the beige tiled floor. The many colors glinted on the gold encrusted ornaments and empty goblets that were arranged across the white linen altar cloth.

She knelt down on the cold stone floor before the altar and hung her head, interlacing the fingers of her clenched hands and letting out a heavy sigh.

"Can I help you, child?"

She opened her eyes and turned slowly to watch the priest who carefully approached her. Smiling in relief and blinking away tears, she held out her hands and nodded in earnest. "You must banish the demon within me, father. Before it is too late!"

The priest paused a short distance from the strange girl and took in her bedraggled appearance, unable to see her face clearly behind the tangle of dark curls. Her hospital-embossed pajamas were grubby and her skin bruised and scratched. He took a step closer and then noticed the name tag secured around her wrist. Aware of movement behind her on the other side of the church, he glanced up at the cleaner who had been dusting in the east transept and gave a slight nod.

"Wait!" Seeming to sense the signal, the strange girl leapt to her feet and crossed the short distance over to the priest in a heartbeat. In one swift motion she had grabbed his arm and twisted it up behind his back, forcing him to sink to his knees with a cry of pain. She then laced her other arm around his neck and glared a warning at the stunned cleaner, seeing the terror in the elderly lady's face.

"Do not call anyone!"

The cleaner nodded quickly and raised her hands in a gesture of calm.

"Get over here!"

The priest gasped as the grip around his throat was adjusted and white spots of light began to dance in the corner of his vision.

"Who else is here?" The woman demanded in fury.

"No one." The white-haired cleaner assured quickly. "Just Father Thomas and myself."

"Good." She suddenly released her hold and let the priest sink away from her, ignoring his rasping coughs as he doubled over and rubbed at his aching arm. "Now …" She moved round to face him and sighed in annoyance. "I need you to - " She stopped suddenly, her attention taken by something in the shadows at the far end of the church. Frowning she peered along the aisle towards the large oak front doors and suddenly smiled.

The priest followed her gaze and could see nothing in the dim corners behind the thick stone pillars. He looked back up at the strange girl and rubbed at his bruised throat.

"I was beginning to lose all hope." The girl offered sternly, her smile growing as she kept her gaze on the entrance to the church. "Hello, Sam."

_Tbc ..._


	3. Part 3

St Patrick's and St Benedict's were the closest Catholic churches to the psychiatric hospital and easily within jogging distance for the time they calculated Tori had had since her escape. Having decided to split up and cover the two possible sites more quickly, Dean pulled the Impala up behind the modern building on the corner of Main Street and shook his head in concern as he looked up at the simple, straight-lined design of St Patrick's.

"Dude, I've got a bad feeling about this …" He muttered.

"Sensing a disturbance in the force, huh?"

Turning to Andy, Dean grinned in delight, "Nah, that's your job, Master Yoda."

About to rise to the challenge, Andy laughed and then groaned as he watched Dean exit the car and the moment was gone.

Dean shook his head as he climbed from the car and met Andy at the trunk. Grabbing his phone from his pocket, he pressed the quick-dial code and held the handset to his ear. "You all set?"

"_Yup_." Came Sam's eager reply.

"I still think we should have stuck together." Dean sighed and tucked his .45 into the back of his jeans.

"_I'll be fine_." Sam countered softly, "_She can't use any powers on me and you need Andy for protection._"

Dean gave a derisive snort and watched the man in question looking through the selection of weapons before him and hesitating in uncertainty. "Which is just wrong in so many ways." He mumbled and grabbed a small 9mm, checking the clip and placing it into Andy's hand. "Listen. Sam? Be careful, okay?"

"_Roger that._"

Dean ended the call and tucked the phone back into his jacket pocket. Closing the trunk, he watched Andy studying the sleek black gun in his grasp and Dean groaned in dismay. "Click this and squeeze that." He offered in annoyance, pointing to the various important parts of the gun. "And don't point it at me."

"Sure. I got it." Andy assured hurriedly and slid the gun into the waist of his jeans. He smiled up at Dean and gave a small shrug. "At least there'll be an abundance of holy water." He offered lightly, "If she is possessed, I mean."

"Great." Dean husked and turned to head towards the rear entrance to the modern octagonal building that looked more like a gym than a place of worship.

XXXXX

The massive oak doors at the front of the ornate St Benedict's were old and misshapen. Through the gaps in the wood, he could clearly hear shouting and paused for a moment to listen. Peering through the large keyhole just below eye level, Sam could look along the aisle and saw the priest being held by her. Seizing the opportunity, he pushed on the smaller door that was inset within the large left door and smiled as it swung open easily.

She was distracted as she yelled orders at the elderly lady that emerged from beside the altar and Sam ducked down behind the last wooden pew, taking a moment to catch his breath. Taking his phone from his jacket pocket, he typed the simple code they had agreed on and sent the text to his brother.

"Hello Sam."

Her words echoed loudly through the acoustic high ceiling of the ornate building and Sam closed his eyes, desperate to ignore her until his back-up arrived.

"I know you're there."

Muttering a silent curse and then quickly following it with an apology due to his surroundings, Sam remained still and out of sight.

"Come on out. I have a message for you."

Sam was suddenly lost and filled with fear. His mind raced as he pieced together the clues and again tried to fathom what exactly must have happened to this girl, suddenly not so convinced that it was not a demon speaking through her now.

"Fine. I guess I'll have to write it down."

Hearing a soft whimper and then a louder shout of panic, Sam flinched as a dull thud reverberated through the church and he was sure he heard something - or someone - land on the floor. Then the priest cried out in alarm and Sam got to his feet, decision made.

Tori looked up and smiled as she peered towards Sam. She stepped back from the slumped form of the elderly woman and lifted her hand, rubbing bright scarlet blood between her fingers.

"Wait!" Sam hurried around the pew and took a few steps up the aisle towards them. "Stop. I'm here. What do you need to tell me?"

Looking down at the heavy gold-plated candlestick in her grasp and then back at the glistening blood on her fingers, Tori gasped and staggered backwards. She dropped the candlestick and covered her ears as it crashed onto the stone floor with a loud clang. "Oh god! What have I done?"

"It's okay." Sam strode slowly along the aisle and held up his hands in reassurance. "It's all going to be okay, Tori."

Tori continued backwards and stumbled as her heels met the stone steps that led up to the altar and she sat down heavily, hanging her head with a quiet sob.

Reaching the end of the aisle, Sam crouched down beside the still form of the elderly woman and placed his fingers against her neck. Sighing in relief, he looked up at the priest and nodded slightly as he flipped open his fake ID. "Get her out of here and call an ambulance." He glanced at Tori and frowned in concern. "But tell them no sirens, okay?"

The terrified man quickly stood and stooped down to gather the woman in his arms.

"Tori ...?" Sam stepped towards the quietly crying girl who was slumped on the steps and his heart thudded loudly in his ears. Taking a small flask from his inside jacket pocket, he unscrewed the cap and flicked a small amount of the water onto her legs, watching the lack of effect and sighing inwardly in relief.

Lifting her head slowly, Tori stared at Sam through her tears and shook her head in confusion. "Who are you?" She then gasped and took in her surroundings, cowering further away from him. "Where am I?"

"You're safe." Sam answered calmly, pausing a short distance from her. "My name is Sam. I'm here to help you."

"Sam?" Tori echoed quietly, her green eyes full of fear. She was then suddenly on her feet and leapt back from him, sobbing in fright. "No! You're one of them! You're with _him_!"

"It's okay." Sam repeated softly, "I'm a friend."

"No!" She backed further away and gasped as she thudded into the altar. Her eyes darted around at her surroundings and her breathing was loud and fast as she continued to panic. "The voices! They tell me! They speak of you and the others."

"What?" Sam breathed.

"Eyes!" Tori continued, tuggling at handfuls of her hair and padding her fists against her head. "Eyes like fire. Eyes always watching. Burning! Yellow like the sun. Burning heat."

Sam watched her in concern and his hands were shaking from the adrenaline that rushed through him. "Easy …" He whispered as gently as he could, "You're okay."

"Stay back!" Tori shouted angrily, glancing behind her and grabbing the jewel-encrusted gold cross that stood in the center of the altar. She held it up before her and glared at him in fury. "_In nomine patri et fili et spiritus sancti - _"

"I'm not a demon." Sam urged carefully, "I'm a person … like you."

"Liar!" Tori spat back, "He told me about you! He told me you would come!"

"The yellow-eyed man?"

Tori paused in shock and regarded Sam in suspicion.

"I've seen him, too." Sam watched Tori as she absorbed his words and suddenly saw something in her face change. He realized his error too late and held up his arms to defend himself as she leapt forward and swung the heavy cross at him. The golden ornament slammed into the outer edge of the cast on his right wrist and he cried out in pain, clutching his arm to his chest. This left her an opening and he gasped as he watched her bring the cross up in a wide arc and the top corner caught his chin, slamming his teeth together and blackening his vision.

"No more!" Tori screamed in anger and jumped after Sam as he tumbled backwards and landed heavily on the stone floor. "Leave me alone!" She demanded, bringing the cross up above her head and grunting with the effort of swinging it down towards him.

Sam was dazed and blinked groggily, looking up just in time to see the golden ornament heading towards him. Instinctively, he rolled to the side and held up his arm to protect his head. The heavy cross smashed into the plaster that covered his wrist and the cast shattered, unable to withstand the impact. Sam yelped in pain and continued his roll forward, grasping at the broken plaster and pressing his face into the cold stone floor.

"He sent you!" Tori husked breathlessly, standing over Sam and glaring down at him. "He said you would come. It begins and ends with the first one."

Sam bit into his lip and choked on a sob, white-hot agony shooting up through his right arm and threatening to bring up his breakfast pancakes. He could taste bile in the back of his throat and blood on his tongue. Gasping noisily, he curled his body around the pain in his arm and his mind could focus on nothing more.

"He showed me the end of all things." Tori continued evenly, leaning over Sam and frowning in anger. "It starts with you."

"What?" Sam gasped suddenly as she caught his full attention and he turned his head, whimpering as he adjusted his position to look up at her. "What did you say?"

"Eyes always watching." Tori smiled coldly, "Eyes bright and burning like the sun. Burning like fire. Fire. Fire. They will all burn in the fire."

"Who?" Sam hiccuped on a sob and closed his eyes for a moment, fighting the nausea that was building. "Tori, what did he tell you?"

"Plans." She answered calmly.

"What plans?" Sam urged, his face tight with pain as he swallowed back more bile.

"Destruction." Tori replied, sudden sorrow filling her face and she closed her eyes, tears dripping down onto Sam's jacket. "I'm sorry." She whispered and looked back down at him, her expression suddenly calm and focused. "I cannot let you be." She groaned as she lifted the cross up high once more and shook her head in apology.

"Sam!"

Sam spun onto his back, yelping as the movement jolted his arm. He saw the entrance doors hanging open and the figure who stood in the bright afternoon light that flooded into the church. "No! Dean - wait!" Sam shouted quickly, his heart slamming against his chest as he saw the powder flash and then heard the crack of the gun firing.

Turning to look back up at Tori, Sam saw the blood that sprayed out behind her and yelled in horror. He watched her recoil from the impact and moved away from the cross that tumbled from her grasp and clattered against the floor behind him. Forcing himself to sit upright, he reached out with his good arm and saw her sink slowly backwards to collapse beside him on the steps to the altar.

"No!" Sam forgot the pain in his arm for a moment and scrambled onto his knees. He hurried across to Tori and leaned over her, seeing the shock in her pale face.

The shot was perfect, a clean path straight through the center of her chest. Sam pressed his uninjured hand over the patch of blood that pooled under her cotton top and could feel the pulsing beneath his fingers as the warm, dark liquid washed over his skin.

"Sam?"

Spinning his head towards his advancing brother, Sam blinked away tears and choked on a sob. "Call 911!"

Dean slowed his approach and looked down to where Sam was desperately applying pressure. "Fuck …" He grated under his breath. "I just meant to stop her …"

"Call an ambulance, goddamit!" Sam yelled in fury, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Nodding slowly, Dean took out his phone and made the call. Aware of Andy stepping up beside him, he turned and saw the horror on the man's face.

"Tori?" Sam urged quietly, nudging her shoulder with his elbow. "Stay with me, okay? I'm gonna help you. We'll get through this." He sniffed back further tears and leaned closer to her, using the shattered cast of his right hand to carefully turn her head to face him.

"Sam?" Tori whispered, the action making her cough noisily, fluid bubbling in her throat.

"Hey." Sam smiled warmly and nodded. "I'm here. I'm right here."

"Don't - " Tori coughed again, forcing more blood to pump from the chest wound and choking on the amount that gathered in her throat. "Don't let him win."

Sam frowned and lowered his head, his nose almost touching hers. "What did he tell you? I have to know."

"It was … too much." Tori replied in all but a whisper, her breathing shallow and noisy. "Too many voices … too much to … to take in."

"Try and tell me." Sam pleaded softly.

"Dark." Tori offered, her heavy eyes closing.

"No!" Sam gently tapped her cheek and blinked away the tears that blurred his vision. "Tori?"

Tori slowly responded and looked up at Sam with unfocusing eyes. "Dean," She continued quietly. "Not … not strong enough."

"For what?"

Tori suddenly smiled and let out a heavy sigh as she rolled her head back and gazed up at the intricately detailed ceiling of the church. "So clear … it's all so clear now …"

"What is?" Sam demanded urgently, "Tori? Please!"

"Find the others." Tori stated calmly, looking back at him and nodding gently. "Only … only you can … can find them … and to … together …" She paused suddenly and stared up at Sam, a gentle frown forming and then falling away from her face to leave her looking strangely calm.

Sam felt the pulsing beneath his fingers slow and then stop. He nudged Tori urgently and waited for a response, already knowing that he would get none. Lowering his head, he rested his forehead against her chest and listened to the sudden silence that descended.

And then the distant wail of sirens drew closer to the church. Dean glanced out through the open doors and could just see the flickering of blue lights emerging amid the downtown traffic. He frowned in concern and then turned back to look down at Andy. "Hey, man, you think - "

"Not a problem." Andy assured quietly, "I can explain a plausible situation to them."

Dean nodded gratefully and then moved his gaze to his brother who was now cradling the limp form of the woman in his good arm. "Sam …?"

"She was just about to tell me." Sam husked through clenched teeth and then turned his head to glare at his brother. "She knew, Dean! She knew it all!"

"And look what it did to her." Dean offered cautiously.

"But she could have told me!" Sam argued in fury. "Why? Why did you have to shoot her?"

"Aw, come on, Sammy! She was trying to kill you!"

Sam shook his head firmly. "She was confused. Afraid. I could have helped her."

"Dude!" Dean countered, stepping closer and glancing at the still form in his brother's partial grasp. "Nothing could have helped her, man … she was too damaged …"

"Says who?"

"Says all the specialists back at the hospital who tried for months to help her!" Dean replied, feeling adrenaline surging through him and an uncomfortable knot of guilt forming in his stomach. "I was protecting you, Sammy … I had no choice …"

Sam looked away and closed his eyes, pulling Tori closer against him.

"Oh, god, Sam …" Dean threw up his hands and groaned in weary frustration. He headed to the nearest pew and perched on the edge, hanging his head and sighing loudly.

Andy watched the two of them in uncertainty and backed away, suddenly feeling awkward to witness their obvious pain. He retreated to the opposite side of the church and sat down on one of the benches. The sound of sirens was then intensely loud in the echoey church and he turned to see the ambulance skid to a halt at the bottom of the front steps.

The paramedics rushed up the aisle and hastily shot questions at the three of them, the police officers that quickly followed them also demanding to know what had happened. Andy stood and took a deep breath, explaining the situation minus a few details, he introduced the brothers as their current aliases and watched the police officers instantly back down and offer their support.

Sam gasped in protest as one of the paramedics tried to gently roll him back from the body he held and he shrugged her away from him, yelping as pain shot up his arm.

"Sam." Dean stood and hurried over to his brother, placing his hand on Sam's shoulder and pausing for a moment as Sam hung his head. "Come on, bud. You need to get looked at."

Sam lifted his head and looked up into his brother's earnest expression, seeing the tears that had gathered in Dean's eyes. He nodded reluctantly and slowly moved away from Tori, sliding his good arm out from under her. Cradling his injured arm close to his chest, he grunted in pain as he was helped to his feet between his brother and the female paramedic. Once standing up straight, the room began to spin and his knees buckled under him.

Dean gasped and quickly wrapped his arm around Sam's waist, pulling him against him and supporting him long enough for the second paramedic to slide a chair behind Sam. He could feel his brother tensing with each movement and heard the hisses that escaped Sam's clenched teeth as he was gently lowered onto the chair.

XXXXX

Dean climbed up into the ambulance beside his brother and smiled thinly, watching in concern as Sam breathed heavily through the face mask and sucked down lungfuls of nitrous oxide. The paramedic gently enfolded both Sam's arm and the shattered plaster in an plastic cast and inflated it just enough to provide a small amount of support.

Sam groaned into the mask as the woman finished attending to his arm and began to check his vitals. He pulled the mask away from his face and sighed wearily. "God, I was so close."

Dean watched his brother in uncertainty and glanced at the paramedic, seeing her attention taken as she worked through the routine checks of her patient.

"So close to some answers." Sam continued groggily, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

Dean nodded slightly and leaned forward to gently pat his brother's uninjured arm. "Maybe next time." He offered lightly.

"Yeah." Sam whispered, resting his head back against the pillows on the raised board of the gurney.

Dean watched in concern as Sam closed his eyes and then caught the quick smile of reassurance the paramedic shot him. He smiled back and settled into his seat as she stepped past him to close the back doors.

The ambulance pulled away from the church and Dean could imagine Andy following close behind in the Impala, perhaps unaware of just how precarious a position he was in behind the wheel of such a precious automobile. Smiling to himself, Dean then looked back at Sam and his merriment fell away.

What could Tori have possibly been told that would drive her insane? It was far beyond his comprehension and Dean wondered if he really wanted to know such horrors. A shiver ran up his spine and he watched his brother resting peacefully, his heart sinking as he added up their father's last ominous request and what little he so far knew of what Tori had been spouting. He had only caught a few words when he arrived at the church but it had been more than enough; she had wanted to kill Sam in order to stop him from becoming something and it was just too close to home for Dean's liking.

Dean gazed at Sam's pale, bruised face and found himself wondering just what horrors might yet lay ahead of them. He shuddered and clenched his fists, shaking his head to clear his thoughts and taking a deep breath as he reminded himself of all that they had thus far survived and how strong they were together.

The notion gave him comfort for a few minutes and he took the chance to enjoy for a moment what little peace it offered.

_Fin_


End file.
